Telling Our Stories II
While I was the Youth and Music Director at Downsville Baptist Church, I visited a couple who moved in near the church. The husband was attending Baylor, as well. He had contacted the office at Baylor which helped students find church positions, and he had become the pastor of Smith Bend Baptist Church. It was a small struggling church about 35 miles north of Waco in Bosque County. Chris and I became friends with this couple, and soon he asked me to consider leaving Downsville to help him at Smith Bend.
The little church did not have many people or much money. In fact, they had about 12 people for worship, and that was including the pastor, his wife, and two children they picked up in Waco. To pay me a little, he asked the three deacons to give $5 more a week, so I could receive $15 a week. As we prayed it through, God led us to accept this position, partly because the young pastor had more experience than I did, and I thought I could learn from him. Also, we were going to ride to seminary in Fort Worth together. I went to Smith Bend to lead the music and help with the youth the Sunday after Easter in 1976.
Almost immediately the pastor had a prayer request. He had a notion that we could find a place with two houses and live close to each other. Miraculously, the Lord provided such a place, and Chris and I rented the bigger house from him for $40/ month. He set out to fix up the smaller house, but never finished, before feeling called to go back home to west Texas. That was sometime in July. I went to the Post Office, which had a non-Christian lady as the Post Master shortly after the pastor moved. She greeted me, and said, "I hear you are the new pastor of Smith Bend Baptist Church." I told her that was news to me, because no one had mentioned it to me. However, it was true. The church asked me to be the pastor, and I accepted. I began on the first Sunday in August of 1976.
The Lord had worked again to bring me to the center of His will. I did not have to search for a church. The church came to me. I was learning, and they needed someone to try to get the church back on track. I guess God knew I was the man for the job. Thus, began my seminary days and seven and a half years as pastor of Smith Bend Baptist Church. God blessed, and the church did get back on track. I will tell that story later. We had our first two children while at Smith Bend, too. God is so good.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Matthew 25-27.
The little church did not have many people or much money. In fact, they had about 12 people for worship, and that was including the pastor, his wife, and two children they picked up in Waco. To pay me a little, he asked the three deacons to give $5 more a week, so I could receive $15 a week. As we prayed it through, God led us to accept this position, partly because the young pastor had more experience than I did, and I thought I could learn from him. Also, we were going to ride to seminary in Fort Worth together. I went to Smith Bend to lead the music and help with the youth the Sunday after Easter in 1976.
Almost immediately the pastor had a prayer request. He had a notion that we could find a place with two houses and live close to each other. Miraculously, the Lord provided such a place, and Chris and I rented the bigger house from him for $40/ month. He set out to fix up the smaller house, but never finished, before feeling called to go back home to west Texas. That was sometime in July. I went to the Post Office, which had a non-Christian lady as the Post Master shortly after the pastor moved. She greeted me, and said, "I hear you are the new pastor of Smith Bend Baptist Church." I told her that was news to me, because no one had mentioned it to me. However, it was true. The church asked me to be the pastor, and I accepted. I began on the first Sunday in August of 1976.
The Lord had worked again to bring me to the center of His will. I did not have to search for a church. The church came to me. I was learning, and they needed someone to try to get the church back on track. I guess God knew I was the man for the job. Thus, began my seminary days and seven and a half years as pastor of Smith Bend Baptist Church. God blessed, and the church did get back on track. I will tell that story later. We had our first two children while at Smith Bend, too. God is so good.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Matthew 25-27.